Philly Leader

Koyo Aoyagi, a 31-year-old right-handed pitcher known for his sidearm delivery, is attending the Philadelphia Phillies' spring training as a non-roster invitee. Despite being expected to start the season with Triple-A Lehigh Valley, there is potential for him to contribute to the major league team later in the year. The Phillies have signed Aoyagi partly in an effort to strengthen their presence in the Japanese baseball market after failing to attract prominent stars like Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Roki Sasaki.

Aoyagi commented on this opportunity: “Me pitching on a big league mound would definitely bring some attention to the Phillies. That’ll be able to recruit more Japanese players. So that would be a big thing.”

With nine seasons of experience in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball League, Aoyagi has achieved significant success. He is a three-time All-Star and contributed significantly to Hanshin Tigers' victory in the Japan Series championship in 2023 by pitching scoreless innings in Game 7. Additionally, he played a role in Japan securing a gold medal at the 2020 Olympics.

Reflecting on his career and aspirations, Aoyagi stated: “The past four years I’ve been talking to my team in Japan about playing in the States. I’m very excited to be here... The past few years, I haven’t been able to live up to my potential. Three years ago, I played really well in Japan. I still have that potential.”

Phillies manager Rob Thomson noted Aoyagi's unique pitching style as an asset: “Whenever you have different looks coming out of the bullpen, it’s good,” he said. “You’re not going to have seven guys that throw 100 [mph] with great sliders.”

Should Aoyagi make it onto the Phillies' roster during regular season play, he would become only the third Japanese player in franchise history after Tadahito Iguchi and So Taguchi. Notably, he would be their first direct signing from Japan.

Aoyagi expressed enthusiasm about joining Major League Baseball: “In the States, there are so many countries represented in the Major Leagues,” he said. “I’m extremely excited about that, being able to see how my stuff plays... For that, I just really wanted to play for this team.”